Legal Luminary Femi Falana’s Take on the Chairmanship of EFCC and ICPC: North and South Divide

During a recent appearance on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, Femi Falana, a distinguished human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), offered his viewpoint on an intriguing dimension of Nigeria’s federal character principle.

Falana’s stance revolved around the nomination of chairpersons for both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from the identical geopolitical zone, a decision he contends contradicts the very essence of this foundational principle.

Falana pointed out that, considering the current chair of the EFCC hails from the southern region, it would be in line with the federal character principle to have the ICPC chair from the northern region.

In Falana’s words, “If you are going to have the EFCC and the ICPC, the heads cannot come from the same zone.”

He also added that Ola Olukoyede, the current EFCC chairman, is “eminently qualified” for the role due to his extensive experience, having previously served in various high-ranking positions within the agency.

As a bit of context, both Olukoyede and the ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN), are originally from the South-West geopolitical zone.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Olukoyede as the new EFCC boss with a renewable four-year term, pending Senate confirmation.

This appointment followed the controversial resignation of former EFCC boss Abdulrasheed Bawa, who faced allegations of misconduct.

It’s worth noting that Olukoyede’s appointment has stirred debate, with some questioning his qualifications to lead the EFCC.

In response to these concerns, Falana affirmed Olukoyede’s qualifications and highlighted the importance of adhering to the Federal Character Commission Act and Section 14 of the Nigerian constitution, which call for appointments that reflect the country’s federal character.

In Falana’s words, “There is no issue; the only issue that has been raised and has to be considered by the government is that we have in this country, the Federal Character Commission Act. And also by the virtue of Section 14 of the constitution, appointments must reflect Federal Character.”

The legal luminary further emphasized the need to ensure that the EFCC and ICPC leadership represents a balanced regional distribution as mandated by the law.

The debate over this appointment continues, with legal experts and the public alike weighing in on the matter.

Source: Vanguard Newspapers